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Celebrating Middle Eastern and North African Heritage Month: An Interview with Michael and Zak Zakar

Michael & Zak Zakar describe themselves as the Middle Eastern Mary-Kate & Ashley. They aim to represent the underrepresented voices of proud Middle Easterners in the entertainment industry and have published a book, Pray the Gay Away, about their upbringing. Can you talk about the intersection of your queer and Arab American heritage? Michael: It seems like the question to our people is a paradox in itself. Like it’s impossible to be both, have layers. It’s important to recognize that people like us exist in our home country and in the states. If anyone should be leading the revolution on…
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Authors Making a Difference: Celebrating Women’s History Month with a Panel of Women and Gender-Expansive Authors

Seeing ourselves in stories can be incredibly powerful. The Trevor Project’s editorial team invited three authors — Lamya H, Sarah Cypher, and Becky Albertalli — to talk about the importance of seeing women’s and LGBTQ+ experiences in books, and how they can help us better understand ourselves and be better allies to each other. Considering recent bans of LGBTQ+ books in school libraries, these authors show us why sharing authentic stories can help affirm young people and why reading mainstream LGBTQ+ books can be an act of resistance. Lamya H (she/they) is a queer Muslim writer and organizer living in…
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Our Resolution: Defeat Anti-LGBTQ Bills in 2023

As we start a new year, we enter a hostile political landscape for LGBTQ young people in states across America. In 2022, 220 anti-LGBTQ bills were considered in a majority of states across the country — a record number. In 2023, this trend is set to continue, as state houses around America are considering legislation that targets LGBTQ young people, ranging from censoring LGBTQ-related curriculums and books, banning transgender student-athletes from participating in sports that match their gender identity, and criminalizing doctors and families who support youth with transgender medical care.   That’s the bad news. However, there is reason for…
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Going Home For The Holidays

Going home can mean returning to your comfort zone. Going home can mean freedom of expression or safety from the storm. Some people have many homes; the homes they come from, the homes they created on their own. And some people still cannot call anywhere a home, in both the physical and emotional sense.  As someone who grew up in an often unsafe and unaffirming home, the ability to control and feel safe in my space is very important to me. The home I am in now is my favorite so far. It is a cozy place where I cook…
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Every Single One: Letters to Those Who Supported Us

Affirmation has an enormous impact — in fact, one accepting adult can decrease an LGBTQ young person’s risk of suicide by up to 40%. For this year’s Every Single One campaign, we’re helping LGBTQ young people tell stories of those who have changed their lives for the better. By telling these stories, we hope to encourage others to do the same. We asked five LGBTQ young people to write a letter to someone who has supported them on their journey and captured those letters in this video. Here’s what they said: Dear Mama,  Thank you for understanding me when no…
Get Involved with our Fight for Equality
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Get Involved in Our Fight for Equality

The world today feels uncertain and scary. When we look at the issues faced by LGBTQ — especially trans and nonbinary — young people, it can feel overwhelming. There is so much discrimination and disinformation out there, sometimes it feels like there are problems too big to be solved. While it’s true these issues are daunting, there are concrete ways to take action. The antidote to despair is getting involved and effecting change in individual lives.  Transgender Awareness Week is a one-week celebration every year — observed November 13 to November 19 — leading up to Trans Day of Remembrance…
100-Word Coming Out Stories
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100-Word Coming Out Stories

Storytelling changes hearts and minds. Every coming out story is unique, but they are each a part of the beautiful, messy, aching process of looking for affirmation and acceptance from those we love the most. For Coming Out Day, we asked Trevor staff to share their journeys with the world in 100 words.  Remember that everyone comes out at their own pace, and sometimes only to themselves. Out and proud or just beginning your journey — both are equally valid. Here are some selected 100-word coming out stories: I told my mom I had to tell her something while watching…
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Stories Of Pride From The Trevor Project Board Of Directors

The Trevor Project is an international community of care committed to ending suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer & questioning young people. Our Board of Directors is integral to Trevor’s mission and provides strategic direction to Trevor's leadership, acting as our leading ambassadors with donors and partners. As part of our continued celebrations of Pride during June (and all year round), we invited members of our Board of Directors to share their stories of pride, struggle, acceptance, and, ultimately, joy, as well as their statements of support for LGBTQ young people. Gina Muñoz: Chair of the Board, Attorney at…
Stories of Pride: Leah Curtis
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Stories Of Pride From Trevor Project Volunteer Digital Counselor Leah Curtis

Content Warning: This story explores addiction. For support, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat www.TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by textingSTART to 678-678. My name is Leah (she/they) and I am one of the many amazing humans that young people speak with when they need support via chat and text: a volunteer Digital Counselor. I amcurrently in school studying Gender, Women, and Sexuality and working diligently to better myself. I was 15 years old when I first began struggling with drug use, the same year I came out to my parents as gay. When I looked around, I…
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Opening Up The Conversation Around Eating Disorders With Desireé Luckey

Content Warning: This story explores eating disorders. For support, our trained crisis counselors are available 24/7 at 1-866-488-7386, via chat www.TheTrevorProject.org/Get-Help, or by texting START to 678-678. This Mental Health Awareness Month, The Trevor Project is challenging norms and facilitating honest discussion around the real issues LGBTQ young folks deal with. Desireé Luckey, Director of Policy at URGE: Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, sat down with The Trevor Project to open up the conversation around eating disorders in the LGBTQ community and discuss the implications of recent research released by The Trevor Project on eating disorders among LGBTQ youth.…